Audio control surfaces are used in offline/post production and live contexts to select and control the values of the various parameters that determine the sound of an audio production. In all but the very simplest of productions, the audio is composed of multiple tracks, which are fed as inputs into an audio control surface for mixing by an operator, before being output to a monitor, venue loudspeaker, or to a recording device. It is a common aspect of audio control surfaces that the controls used to control the parameters of each track are repeated, with each track being assigned its own set of physical controls, each of these sets commonly referred to as a channel strip. This repetition can result in a large number of controls. It is not uncommon for a control surface in a live production to have over a hundred channel strips, with 24 controls on each strip. This can result in an audio control surface up to about ten feet in length, and 3-4 feet in width.
When an operator of an audio control surface is presented with a large number of controls, especially at close quarters where they extend beyond a single visual field of an operator, it can be difficult to maintain visual focus. For example, if an operator who is working on a first set of controls at one end of an audio control surface needs to perform a one-time quick adjustment of a second set of controls located at the opposite end of the surface before continuing to work on the first set of controls, it becomes necessary to shift attention from one end of the surface to the other. However, after performing the adjustment on the second set of controls, it may be difficult to return to the first set of controls quickly amongst the many identical-looking banks of controls. Rapidly returning to a desired control may even be problematic when the controls being used are in close proximity to each other, such as when controlling different parameters on adjacent or nearly adjacent channel strips. Rapid refocusing may be challenging for an operator viewing a projection screen while mixing audio for a movie, or in a live sound setting in which an operator's eyes must switch rapidly back and forth from performers on a stage to the control surface. This problem may be exacerbated when the operator is working under reduced lighting conditions, such as in a darkened auditorium, or in a dimly lit studio. There is therefore a need for methods and systems to aid the visual focus of an audio control surface operator.